Sermon Central
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Jesus Used The Word To Focus People On Love Series
Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Jul 20, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus used to word to try to get folks to place their focus on what was important to God so that they would do what God called them to do for the right reasons!
• When we are looking for loopholes, we are looking for ways to be disobedient without being too disobedient.
• This is missing the point; however, Jesus is going to answer the question.
• Let’s look at verse 37.
• SLIDE #5
• Matthew 22:37 (CSB) He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
• SLIDE #6
II. The greatest command. 37
• The answer Jesus gives will make the Pharisees happy for the moment.
• Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5.
• Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is to Love God.
• Love is more than emotion, it is hard to command emotions, love is a CHOICE!
• The free will that God blessed us with is to be directed toward loving God.
• Jesus also offers the depth at which we are to love God.
• When Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, the passage shows us how we are to love God completely.
• The heart, soul, and mind are not meant to be divided, but rather those three areas represent to total person.
• I am to love God with my whole heart, down to the depths of my soul, and on top of that, I am to love Him with my entire mind.
• In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we are told we are to take every thought captive to obey Christ!
• The religious leaders promoted a self-righteous way of living, they were obedient to earn their righteousness instead of relying on the righteousness of God.
• When we obey God to earn something, we gain nothing.
• Jesus told the religious leaders on many occasions that if they were doing what they were doing for the applause of man, that is all they will get out of it. Matthew 6
• Loving God is the greatest commandment because of the depth of our love for God will set the tone for all other areas of our life.
• We talked about this a little last week, when we look to God’s Word with a heart for God, we will not try to avoid doing what He has asked of us, nor will we try to justify the sin we are engaged in.
• This is where the church has to be the example, we have to love God enough to obey Him and when we sin, repent and get back on track. We have to quit excusing, explaining and justifying our sin.
• When God says something is sin, it is sin, END OF STORY.
• For those of us who belong to Jesus, if you are going to willfully sin, at least admit it and don’t try to justify the sin because doing so will drag other people down with you.
• Our motivation to live for Jesus should spring forth from our love for God.
• The first four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship with God.
• Our love for God will affect our next thought.
• SLIDE #7
• Matthew 22:38–39 (CSB) — 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
• SLIDE #8
III. The second greatest command. 38-39
• Linked to the first commandment is an equally weighty and binding commandment drawn from Leviticus 19:18: Love your neighbor as yourself. Nowhere in Judaism are these commandments linked as having absolute priority among God’s commandments. Chouinard, L. (1997). Matthew (Mt 22:39–40). Joplin, MO: College Press.
